Xerjoff

Xerjoff is an Italian niche perfume house based in Turin, founded in 2007 by Sergio Momo and Dominique Salvo [2][8]. It operates in the luxury fragrance sector and is owned by Xerjoff Group SpA [8]. The brand began when Momo created a rich, opulent scent housed in a hand-sculpted quartz flacon; a commission from a client in Moscow for further fragrances prompted the pair to formally establish the company in their hometown.

From that start the house has grown to a repertoire exceeding 180 original scents sold in more than 125 countries, with 13 boutiques worldwide. It remains active, with recent releases and initiatives dated to 2025.

The name Xerjoff derives from "Joff," a childhood nickname given to Momo by his grandmother and later extended to "Sir Joff" by English colleagues [8]. Momo, described as a former painter and designer, studied perfumery in Grasse in 2005 before the brand's founding. He serves as the company's creative director and CEO. Dominique Salvo designed the house's distinctive perfume cap, which drew on the Deshret, or Egyptian Red Crown, worn by pharaohs, referencing Turin's Egyptian Museum.

Some sources date the company differently. A business profile in The Silicon Review lists a founding year of 2009 [10], but that date refers to the relaunch of the Casamorati sub-brand rather than the founding of Xerjoff itself; the brand site and Wikipedia both place the Xerjoff founding in 2007 [2][8].

Xerjoff launched its inaugural 17/17 Stone Label collection in 2007, followed by the Shooting Stars collection in 2009, which featured semi-precious stone embellishments, meteorite fragments and gold-plated caps. In 2009 Momo also revived Casamorati, a historic Italian perfume house originally established in Bologna in 1888, positioning it as a bridge between classical Italian perfumery and modern luxury [2]. The company's first boutique opened in the Dubai Mall in 2010.

Andrea Tessitore became company president in July 2018 [8]. As of 2019, Wikipedia records the brand's "commercial heart" as London, where it generated about one-fifth of its revenue [8]. Since the ATP Finals tennis tournament relocated to Turin in 2021, Xerjoff has sponsored the event and created annual tennis-themed scents.

The company operates as Xerjoff Group SpA [8]. Its portfolio houses two principal brands: Xerjoff and the revived Casamorati (established 1888).

According to the company, Xerjoff takes a maximalist and opulent approach to perfumery, drawing on forms of beauty in the universe and interpreting them through scent to create multisensory experiences. It describes combining traditional distillation with modern extraction technologies while experimenting with unconventional notes and abstract concepts. In an interview with CaFleureBon, Momo framed the brand around "NATURE and ITALIAN CRAFTMANSHIP," saying he wanted to create something individual rather than "just another perfume line" [9]. The editorial characterised the house as one where quality matters, favouring fewer premium fragrances over many mediocre ones.

The house works with ingredients sourced from specific regions: iris butter from the hills of Tuscany, tarakan oud from Borneo, Kannauj roses from northern India and sandalwood from Mysore. Momo has cited iris as a note that runs through much of the line. Presentation is central to the product: flacons made from Murano glass, engravings by Tuscan glassmakers, and semi-precious stones shaped by jewellers in Valenza Po.

Its signature fragrances include XJ 1861 Naxos, Erba Pura, Newcleus and Tempio d'Acqua. In March 2025 the company began equipping all perfumes with an NFC tag powered by Certilogo, allowing buyers to verify authenticity by tapping the flacon with a smartphone [6].

XJ 1861 Naxos, the house's flagship, won the Fragrantica Readers' Choice Award in 2024 for Best Niche Fragrance of All Time, based on more than two million community votes [11]. In 2025, Sergio Momo received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ScentXplore Awards [12].

The brand has also released fragrances with musicians. It produced "Save Me" with Queen's Brian May in January 2021 in support of his Save Me Trust wildlife charity, part of a "Spray to Help" collection, and "Scent of Dark" with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi in November 2021 [8]. A two-fragrance collaboration with Duran Duran followed in 2025.

The company says it sources ingredients exclusively from ethical, certified suppliers and selects each essence for sustainability and traceability as well as scent [5]. It describes using upcycling to repurpose raw materials, redesigning the Vibe and Casamorati packaging along more environmentally conscious lines, and offering bespoke refilling services in selected boutiques, with plans to extend refills to its online store [5].

Xerjoff is active and global in scope. Recent activity dated to 2025 includes the Duran Duran collaboration, the rollout of Certilogo NFC authentication across all perfumes, and Momo's ScentXplore Lifetime Achievement Award. It maintains 13 boutiques and distribution in more than 125 countries.